Syonan Gallery renamed to bear witness to painful memories: PM Lee

Syonan Gallery renamed to bear witness to painful memories: PM Lee

The World War II exhibition at the Former Ford Factory, previously known as "Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies", was renamed to bear witness to painful memories, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (Feb 18).

In a Facebook post, Mr Lee noted that many Singaporeans have spoken up in recent days about the name of the exhibition.

"The name Syonan was meant to evoke that dark and traumatic period in Singapore’s history," explained Mr Lee.

“But quite a few felt that the name itself, used like this, caused them pain. Many Singaporeans of all races suffered terrible atrocities during the Japanese Occupation, or had family members who did,” he added.

Singapore was renamed Syonan-to by the Japanese after the British surrender in 1942.

Out of respect for the people who suffered under the Japanese Occupation, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim had on Friday announced that the exhibition will, instead, be called Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies.

“My colleagues and I honour and respect these deep feelings," wrote PM Lee. "So we have renamed the exhibition to bear witness to these painful memories.”

Mr Lee also thanked Singaporeans for sharing their thoughts and views on the matter. “Such conversations bring us closer together,” he said. “I hope that Singaporeans will go and see the exhibition. We must never forget the events that so profoundly impacted our lives and shaped our society”

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

New World War II exhibition to open at former Ford Factory

New World War II exhibition to open at former Ford Factory

A new permanent World War II exhibition will open to the public on Feb 16 at the historic Old Ford Factory at Upper Bukit Timah, where the British formally surrendered to the Japanese 75 years ago.

The building itself and the exhibition have been renamed Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies, following a year-long revamp by the National Archives of Singapore (NAS).

The gallery, which was formerly known as Memories at Old Ford Factory, now features four zones, each illustrating different periods of Singapore’s time under the Japanese Occupation.

For example, one zone covers the events leading to the fall of Singapore while another focuses on the period when Singapore was renamed Syonan by the Japanese.

The gallery features many new archival materials which were contributed by members of the public after the NAS made a call for contributions last March.

To date, it has received more than 400 public donations, with items ranging from personal letters, diaries and photographs to war artefacts and maps. For instance, one collector donated a Japanese intelligence map of Singapore, accompanied by a booklet with 83 key locations marked in red.

Something which sets the exhibition apart from others is the "diversity of perspectives" displayed, said Ms Fiona Tan, an NAS assistant archivist who worked on the gallery.

“We have consciously tried to present as many oral history accounts as we can, whether it be quotations, through projections, or the multimedia stations that we have for people to interact with," she added.

Touring the gallery on Thursday (Feb 9), Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said that the National Archives did a wonderful job in restoring the gallery in a manner that is compelling.

"This will be a good learning experience for younger Singaporeans so that they can continue to appreciate the peace and harmony that we have in Singapore, but we should never take it for granted,” said Dr Yaacob.

"As a small nation, we always have to be on our guard and recognise that security is important, that everyone has a role to play," he added.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

1 dead, 4 injured after Tembusu tree falls at Singapore Botanic Gardens

1 dead, 4 injured after Tembusu tree falls at Singapore Botanic Gardens



One person died on Saturday (Feb 11) after a massive Tembusu tree toppled at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, interrupting an event organised by the High Commission of Canada that was scheduled to start at 5pm.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident near the Symphony Stage at 4.25pm and that five people were taken to the National University Hospital.

The National Parks Board (NParks) confirmed in a statement at 8.32pm that one of the five had died. The agency also said it was investigating the cause of the tree falling.

"Our priority now is to accord assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured," it added in the statement.

Eyewitness Jonathan Ang, who was there for the concert, said he was sitting at the open area away from most of the trees.

"Suddenly we heard a cracking sound, like thunder," he said.

Across the main path, a tree fell "within five seconds", taking another tree beside it down with it.

"There were easily a hundred of us that rushed forward to help push the branches, the logs away," he added, estimating that there were about four to six people under the "huge" tree when it fell.

According to the Singapore Botanic Gardens' website, the Tembusu tree - which was 40m tall with a girth of 6.5m - is estimated to be more than 270 years old and is the largest of its kind in the Gardens.

Mr Ang said that thankfully, there were not many people sitting in the area as it was under the sun. Most of those nearby also appeared to be unharmed - "except for one poor woman, I'm not sure if she made it ... She was unconscious and her husband was calling for her."

SCDF arrived within about five minutes, and paramedics appeared to be trying to revive the woman, he added.

A note posted on the Canada High Commission's Twitter account at 5.18pm said the Canada 150 concert had been cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances". The event was meant to countdown to the country's 150th birthday with a concert by renowned Canadian pianist Roger Lord and an opening performance by the Canadian International School’s Symphonic Band 9-12. Singaporean DJ duo Rave Republic was also at the Botanic Gardens.

When Channel NewsAsia arrived at the scene at about 5.45pm, police were seen on the site and the area had been cordoned off.

At about 6.30pm, SCDF added that it was working with NParks personnel in the search operation.

All programmes at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Sunday have been cancelled.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~